Globally, more than 12 million people die every year because they live or work in an unhealthy, unsafe environment, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). Environmental pollutants cause numerous diseases, including some types of cancers. People who have low incomes are more likely to live in areas with dangerous levels of these pollutants. The presence of these pollutants can be eliminated or mitigated through robust, research-informed social policy measures.
What is social policy, and how does it affect the public’s health? Social policy can pave the way for a brighter future and improve health outcomes for all. Though social policies are enacted by governmental bodies, they often only exist because of the work of change-makers, such as professionals with a doctorate in public health.
What Is Social Policy?
Social policy encompasses governmental actions that address the public’s social needs. Social policy work begins with understanding issues that affect the public and determining interventions to remedy these issues.
Broadly, social policy refers to the ways that societies distribute resources to their constituents. However, they commonly refer to policies that govern social service and welfare programs. These policies and programs often address social issues and different areas of well-being, including education, employment, health care, housing, and poverty.
Examples of Social Policies
Some examples of social policies include:
- Social Security
- Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Programs (SNAP)
- Medicare
- Medicaid
How Social Policy Interacts With Societal Issues
Social policies often overlap with the economic and social health of a society. There are many intersections between social policies and other facets of society, and they may be developed in response to issues related to education, economics, human rights, and social mobility.
Why Does Social Policy Matter in Public Health?
Though healthcare professionals play a vital role in maintaining the health of most individuals, public health professionals can advocate for policies and programs that can improve health outcomes on a high level.
For example, social policies focused on health care access and education can help facilitate preventative care measures. A 2023 survey by Talker Research found that 64 percent of Americans only go to the doctor when something feels “extremely wrong.”
While the survey suggests that “structural, financial, and behavioral” changes to the American healthcare system may address this issue, social policies that improve healthcare access financially and/or geographically may help patients get the care they need more easily. Additionally, education initiatives may help patients better understand the importance of preventative care.
What Determines Social Policy?
Social policy is largely influenced by what are called social determinants of health (SDOH). These factors are nonmedical, but they play a significant role in health outcomes in communities. They include the conditions in which people are born, grow, live, and work. They also include the systems in place that shape the conditions of people’s daily lives, including economic policies, social norms, and political systems.
Numerous studies have affirmed that SDOH can have a greater impact on an individual’s health than the health care they receive or the individual choices they make. SDOH account for between 30 and 55 percent of all health outcomes, according to the National Institutes of Health.
How SDOH Shape Social Policy in Health
The Global Commission on Social Determinants of Health recommends these three areas of action that social policy measures should strive to address:
- Improving daily living conditions
- Addressing the unequal distribution of power, money, and resources
- Developing an understanding of the problems and assessing the impact of actions
Research on SDOH, such as through community needs assessments, informs the creation of social policies that address these areas.
Who Plays a Role in Shaping Social Policy in Public Health?
Social policy is largely established by government agencies, such as the HHS. However, these policies often only get enacted due to the hard work of many other individuals and organizations, including research groups, nonprofit organizations, and community leaders.
Separate from the professionals who work on health issues specific to the United States, global health professionals work on social policy measures connected to the health of people in other countries. Epidemiologists, for instance, study communicable diseases. Their research helps policymakers be proactive about the spread of diseases, which can and do travel from one country to the next.
Social policy is informed by research and knowledge about diseases and health outcomes of people in the present and past, but its goal is to provide better health outcomes for people in the future.
Shape the Future of Social Policy With a Doctorate in Public Health
Were it not for the many social policies enacted in the United States, the health outcomes for many would be worse. We would lack public sanitation, social security measures, and many other factors that address the SDOH. However, there is a great deal of room for improvement.
By enrolling in Tulane University’s Online Doctor of Public Health (DrPH) program, you can prepare to step into a role where you can help make those improvements happen.
Through this flexible degree program, you can develop the skills required to amplify your voice and improve health outcomes. With classes such as Public Health and Social Policy and Social Determinants of Health in Public Health Practice, the program can help you learn to apply what you have studied to real-life scenarios so you can help shape a brighter future for all.
Learn more about how you can become the leader in public health needs with a doctorate from Tulane University.
Recommended Readings
Public Health Workforce Training and Development: Tips for Leaders
How Public Health Internships Can Advance Your Career
Public Health Nutritionist Career Overview
Sources:
Business Insider, “What Is Social Security? Eligibility, Requirements, and Retirement Age Explained”
Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, Environmental Health
Optum, “Your Age-By-Age Guide to Annual Checkups”
SpringerNature Link, “Social Policy and Health”
Talker, “2 in 3 Only See a Doctor When Something Feels Extremely Wrong”
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Environmental Health